There are U2 fans. There are Hillary Duff fans. And then there are KISS fans. No disrespect to the other followers but there is no greater force in the audiences of music than those that wear the stripes of the KISS Army. The Gotham City quartet certainly quickly divides up its audience. Either you love ‘em or you hate ‘em. And there’s millions of us that make up the former category --- and we’re talking world-wide. I would argue that the love people feel for this band outstrips the hullabaloo known as Beatlemania. That was a phenomenon that burned brightly for a short period of time and faded off into comfortable nostalgia. Today, if you were a KISS fan early on, chances are the passion has not abided, and in many cases has been bolstered with steroid-like amplification, due to the ongoing respect and commitment from the band, in particular from founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

This is no better reflected than in the case of Paul Carpenter and Joe Apple, two major KISS fans. Apple had been angered by the snub towards KISS from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since it opened its door. He started an online petition and encouraged like-minded fans from across the world to sign it. Eventually, he enlisted Paul Carpenter and the two began to cook up the idea of a rally in Cleveland to demand the Board recognize the accomplishments of the band and that they be placed on the ballot for consideration into the hall.

antiMusic spoke to Paul Carpenter to find out what this rally was all about and what drove him and other KISS fans to unite. As a long-time ranking solider in the KISS Army, it was my pleasure to connect with another member of the unit. And now without further ado:

“You wanted the best. You got the best. The hottest fan base in the world….KISS Army!!!”

antiMusic: Why are you having this rally?

Carpenter: Kiss has been America's #1 gold record award winning group of all time. The hall says this is insignificant. They have influenced more musicians than you can count. They have taken some of the biggest bands out on their first tours. Bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Motley Crue to name a few. They have given back to the industry by producing and or discovering bands like Van Halen who one day will enter the Hall themselves. The influence of Kiss reaches outside of rock and roll even in to Country music as well. Garth Brooks is an example of that. The hip hop industry is even sampling their music Reverend Run from Run DMC sampled some of God of Thunder in his new album. The truth is the career that Kiss has had from the seventies through today can be seen everywhere, they did it their way and did not bow down to the so called powers at be. 

antiMusic: What are the reasons why you feel KISS should be in the Hall?

Carpenter: Kiss have 1 multi-platinum, 6 platinum, and 9 gold videos as well, but the answer goes beyond numbers. Sometimes actions speak louder than statistics. The Hall of Fame’s constant snubbing of the fans is unacceptable. We will not sit back and accept what is happening. We will be heard. The Hall states that it will not be influenced by the fans, and that’s their mistake and we will show them the error of their ways. Kiss states in nearly every interview they do “If it were not for the fans then we would not be here”. I say to the Hall, “If it were not for the fans the hall would not be there either.” The bands and the fans are what make up rock and roll not a group of individuals who are biased and uneducated in their ways. They are self-appointed to their positions and I don’t remember telling anyone that they could speak for me on who should be considered a legend in rock and roll. They are not the overriding authority on rock and roll. We will change that, wait and see.

antiMusic: What is planned for the day?

Carpenter: All I can say at this point is there are big things planned and underway. The planning committee is dedicated and working day and night from the four corners of the globe to make this happen. These fans do this to honor Kiss and ask nothing in return but to get Kiss the recognition they deserve. Keep watching as details unfold.

antiMusic: Is there any significance to the date, Aug 5, 2006?

Carpenter: We’re planning in advance to make sure everyone who shares our beliefs in the protest can make it there on the weekend and be able to get away from their jobs and personal things in their lives. 

antiMusic: What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the day?

Carpenter: By the end of the day, the greatest fan base that ever lived will show the world that the process used to induct bands into the Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio is wrong. The Hall is uneducated and biased in their ways. They have ulterior motives and through this protest and the media, everyone will see just what is really happening behind their walls. We gave them a chance, they failed. We are coming!

antiMusic: Are you requesting an audience with the Board?

Carpenter: I have actually been asked to do this rally in the Hall of Fame but I refused to do it. Some people may say isn’t that what you want? But first listen to my reasoning. We–the Kiss Army–have united. And nothing will come between us and our goal. I myself refuse to enter that hall until Kiss is in it and neither will a lot of the fans. I will not divide the Army so we will meet on neutral ground. I invite any Hall of Fame board member that wants to attend, that feels they are just in their decision. But do it right, no form letters. Get your facts straight, we have our’s. Come on out and meet us. We will listen and you need to listen to us as well. As far as me holding a protest in the hall, no way. I will not contribute a dime to that place as long as Kiss is not in it. That’s my beliefs and I will stick to it. 

antiMusic: When did the idea come to you to get involved and organize this rally? Who else is involved?

Carpenter: Joe Apple from Cincinnati, Ohio who is our co chairman contacted me via email one day. For years he was doing an online petition to get Kiss inducted but the Hall of Fame snubbed their noses at the fans. They would answer him with bogus form letters stating the conditions in which bands need to be inducted. Joe asked me to join his group on the internet and sign the online petition. I have known Joe for years and the thought of what the Hall was doing to Kiss and the fans upset me. I quickly joined his group and wrote a declaration of war to the Hall of Fame. 

antiMusic: Who else is involved?

Carpenter: From the very beginning of this I have asked that fans and volunteers come to (website link) and express their ideas for the rally. I have made it clear that everyone’s an integral part of the planning process. Fans and volunteers have jumped onboard from all over the world and another chapter of Kisstory is about to be written but this time by the fans. 

Colette Shaw from www.kissfiction.com came in guns blazing and has been doing an extraordinary job in the PR aspect of this. She is a great contribution to the cause, she only asked one question of me “Is this for real?” and when I answered yes that’s all it took for her to jump on board.

Phil Fiumano a television producer from New York City with the show New York Rocks also jumped in. He will be filming a documentary the day of the event which will be unbelievable. You can visit his site at http://www.nyrockstv.com/ . Two truly dedicated fans from Canada, Kim Rolfe and Kristine Connell came out of nowhere and helped bring the Canadian Kiss Army into the picture. They will bring the Canadian Kiss Army down in busloads to stand up for what they believe in. Visit their site at http://www.ontariokissrnrhalloffame.com. Canadian fans can visit this site and sign their mailing list to help them determine how many buses they will need.

antiMusic: What is the criteria used by the Boards votes to induct?

Carpenter: According to the Hall’s Executive Director, Suzan Evans, candidates for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are nominated by a committee of "music historians" — currently numbering 75 people, mostly executives and journalists — and are then voted upon by approximately 750 people (formerly around 1,000) from "across the spectrum of the music industry, including artists, broadcasters, writers, historians, producers and industry executives who are involved with making music."

Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record and are judged on the basis of "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," according to the hall's Web site. (Categories include Performers, Non-Performers, Early Influences and Sidemen; we'll just examine Performers.) The performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted.

antiMusic: Who is the Board made up of? 

Carpenter: The main players in the hall are its primary officers — Stein, Hall Chairman/Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, Vice Chairman/Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, and Senior Vice President Jon Landau, who also manages Bruce Springsteen — and the list of inductees includes a strikingly large number of people they've worked with, people they've championed, and their personal friends.

antiMusic: Why do you think KISS has been excluded from the Hall thus far?

Carpenter: A fan from the Netherlands sent me this article, originally posted at MTV.com. It’s very interesting and shows just how the Hall operates. The article was written about Black Sabbath, but they use Kiss an example of a band that has been obviously overlooked.

antiMusic: What do you think KISS’ biggest accomplishment is?

Carpenter: Besides the obvious gold albums and influence to other bands throughout their career I believe their biggest accomplishment is doing it their own way. When they were told to give up, they would not. They were told they would not last and they never listened. They were criticized from the start and never listened and look at them now 30+ years later. Their tours still sell out arenas. That’s rock and roll – aggressive, from the streets and not listening to the powers at be. It says something about them, the word Kiss goes hand and hand with the words rock and roll. They worked for that type of recognition, now let’s give it to them.

antiMusic: What has been the response to your call to arms from the KISS Army so far?

Carpenter: Unbelievable, the Army is in full force. Fans have been jumping onboard faster than we can keep track of from the United States, Canada, Greece, Holland, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, France you name it they are involved. Be prepared to see foreign flags flying high at the rally.

antiMusic: How many people are you anticipating showing up? Is the KISS Army outside of the U.S. going to represent? 

Carpenter: The numbers are huge and hard to keep track. There have been talks of protests happening the same day in other countries for our foreign Army members that cannot attend. I will help in the planning on this as well, we are focused and looking straight ahead full speed. 

antiMusic: Do you prefer people to register with you or can they just show up?

Carpenter: No registration is required. We would like the fans to sign our mailing list on this site.

antiMusic: Have you heard anything from the band or management so far?

Carpenter: We have had some feedback from people close to the band such as managers and such. When this was first put together we made sure to let them know what we were doing. We do this in their honor for what they have given us over the years.

antiMusic: Tell us about your personal KISS experience. How and when did you get into the band? What about them appealed to you?

Carpenter: I got into Kiss back in ’75. I was a five year old over at my neighbor’s house and their mother put on a Kiss album. I was hooked instantly. It was something about their mystique that dragged me in, their unpredictability to do things that no other bands have ever done. From the day I heard that album, I was diehard from that point forward. I would paint my face up like them whenever I could before going outside. If I did not have clown white I would use tooth paste, I don’t suggest doing that, although your face stays minty fresh it stings on a cold windy day hahaha. We would hold neighborhood concerts in our neighbors garage because we loved them so much. It would not be until 1987 that I got the chance to see them live it was a show I will never forget. Here were four individuals that I had been following for most of my life, right in front of me. I painted an artistic design on four denim jackets for each person that attended the show with me with the solo albums on the back and destroyer characters down the arms. Gene must of known I was in awe to be there ‘cause he looked right down at me, pointed, urged me to get into it and I held my coat up displaying the pictures I had hand crafted weeks in advance. He pumped his fist in the air with his approval and threw me a guitar pick. I lost the guitar pick to my best friend who caught it, as well as my voice, for the rest of the show after noticing Gene was trying to get my attention. 

antiMusic: Have you ever seen the band live (or how many times) or met them and what was the experience like (when and where --- details please)? 

Carpenter: I have seen the band live several times from 87 till now, more times than I can count. I have never had the honor of meeting them. I would like to though and thank them for what they have done for me during life – helping me make it through good times and the bad. Favorite show for me was opening night Detroit Tiger Stadium 11th row. The anticipation of them coming on stage was unbelievable. When the power to the amps was turned on and the helicopters skimmed the top of the stadium you just knew hold on, here comes the greatest show on earth. When that curtain dropped, it was a dream come true. The four original members all in makeup, something I will never forget, and I thank the guys for doing that show it was an experience. Just ask Sebastian Bach from Skid Row. He was there as well, I believe 9 rows in front of me, according to the radio station WRIF 101 here in Detroit.

antiMusic: What does KISS mean to you?

Carpenter: Kiss is a way of life to me. It taught me to stand up and fight for what I believe in and as you can see they taught me well. From the beginning of their career with their “We will do it our way approach”, they showed me to speak my mind, don’t settle and go for your goals. 

antiMusic: Are you married or have a girlfriend? What do they or other family think about your connection to KISS? 

Carpenter: My parents were the ones who bought me my first guitar 22 years ago. They know that I would follow this band till the day I die and take them with me. They knew I was into Kiss because they bought my albums for me when I was a young child and I thank them for that. They pushed me to get into music as well which led me to study classical guitar in college and move on to my current career. I could not picture my parents not supporting me in anything I do. 

antiMusic: Do you have a favorite member of KISS? Why? 

Carpenter: To me every member throughout the career of the band has made his contribution to Kiss. If I had to pick one it would be a tough decision but it would have to be Paul Stanley. He is the voice, no other front man can compare to him. He was born to be on a stage. Anyone that has seen the band live will tell you the same. He is very gracious to his fans as well, from talking to fans and watching his interviews, he is the way a rock star should be, caring of his fans and willing to take the time to speak to each and every one of them. An individual that does these things shows class and respect, something that some celebrity types lack. 

antiMusic: Favorite record by the band? Why? 

Carpenter: I really can’t pick one to be honest. I have them all. I love them all. Each song means a different thing to me and brings back memories throughout my life.

antiMusic: What is it about the band that inspires such loyalty amongst its audience? 

Carpenter: We grew up with them. Some fans parents grew up with them and pass their music down to their children. There are generations of fans here that are upset about this. I receive somewhere close to 150 emails a day about this rally. I have 6th grade students emailing me about it. It is just amazing how this band has reached out to so many. 

antiMusic: Anything else you would like to add?

Carpenter: I ask of all of the fans out there that want to get involved to join the site and sign the mailing list. Spread the word, you can share our press releases with contacts and friends on the site. The nomination committee is not above us. They put on their pants just like us. If they cannot do the job right and find a new process to induct these bands, then step aside and let people in who do. This rally will be something that the world will never forget – the day the fans stood up and said “We will be heard!” I will leave you with two quotes: 

• “Kiss is not a fad and Kiss is not today’s trend, it’s a lifestyle. It not only takes in the four of us but millions, and our family is worldwide.” – Paul Stanley

• “ Cleveland Ohio, prepare to meet the family, August 5th 2006 we are coming.”- Kiss Army 

antiMusic: Thanks for this, Paul. Good luck in your mission.

Carpenter: Thanks for taking the time to do this.

...end